The Changing Role of LSPs in an AI-Driven World: From Translation to Risk Management and Trust

In the first post of this series, we talked about the phenomenon of word drift and how language is evolving. The second article explained the difference between words and tokens in translation and how language is processed. 

In the third sequel of this trilogy, we’re talking about the changing role of LSPs and how language is controlled. 

From Producing Language…

For years, even decades, the core operations of an LSP were straightforward: translation services, localization services, and timely delivery. When necessary, we would provide some translation and localization consulting services, but the focus was on production. 

We paid special attention to the Venn diagram of translation speed, volume, and cost per word. 

For a long time, that made sense. We kept adopting language technology solutions as they were released or developing them in-house (like Ciklopea did with our Orchestrum TBMS). Every new version of these tools propelled the efficiency of our translation procedures. 

…To Controlling It

Now, AI-powered translation services have become standard. LSPs and natural persons alike can generate content instantly, at scale, in various languages. Content production and translation have never been faster, speaking from a strictly technical point of view. What comes into the spotlight now is the way those translation processes and outputs are controlled. 

In other words, who is sitting at the helm of these AI translations? Ideally, experienced and knowledgeable translators who know the procedures and know how to handle risks. 

Because AI is a mere tool. Like any other tool, it can boost your productivity, but it comes with certain dangers. A chainsaw in the hands of a weathered lumberjack cuts corners (and some wood along the way). But an inexperienced chainsaw operator could cause more damage than benefit. 

This metaphor isn’t here only for literary reasons. Take, for instance, the IFU translation services for medical devices. If the user manuals are translated solely by an AI tool, without a human controller, it could put someone’s life at risk. And these risks can pile up. 

Where the Risks Actually Show Up

Mistranslations are especially common when machines translate the same content across several languages. In some industries, such mistakes may lead only to misunderstandings. For instance, when carrying out game localization, a mistranslation may be frowned upon, but it can hardly lead to serious consequences. 

But medical translation services, on the other hand, must be free of any errors. User manuals, as illustrated above, also need to be meticulous. When handling risk management translation, every term is sacred. 

The risks in AI-driven translation hide in inconsistent terminology across documentation, as well. Such occurrences are especially dangerous in legal translations, where a lack of content alignment with local terminology may influence court decisions and other legal operations. 

When such risk-inducing translation problems spread across systems, products, and regions, they can ruin LSPs’ reputation and put their entire business operations at risk. 

LSPs Shifting Their Roles

So, the core role that LSPs need to play in this AI-driven ecosystem is complete translation control. We’ve always been controllers and verifiers of someone’s translation. Back in the day, it was only humans. Then we started inspecting the joint efforts of human translators and machines. We should keep doing the same, only on a larger scale. 

LSPs must follow their in-house and external procedures and standards to ensure trust, mitigate risks, and establish that total control over our outputs. 

Translated to our daily routines, we need to validate our content through the following checklist:

• Is it consistent?
• Is it aligned across systems?
• Is it traceable?
• Is it safe to use in a regulated environment?

 

Only translation outputs that tick all the boxes can be delivered to our clients. 

Why Does This Matter Even More in Regulated Environments

We’ve mentioned user manuals, medicine, and law above. The list of heavily regulated industries doesn’t finish there. Pharmaceuticals, healthcare, life sciences as a whole, and trade agreements all demand precise, consistent, and auditable translation. 

Inconsistencies incur compliance issues, legal penalties, and safety concerns.
When AI translation services are scaling up fast, these risks grow along with it. Human control and pre-defined structure become essential in risk management. 

How Standards Establish Structure

Every LSP that wants to stay competitive in this brave new translation market must build meticulous internal procedures and adopt all the relevant external standards. A translation service provider must meet the requirements for ISO 18587. It’s the international standard for post-editing of machine translation. Following the activities prescribed by this standard ensures that the LSP in question is an internationally competitive entity. 

What’s more, working with clients from the medical industry means that fulfilling ISO 13485 is a must. An international standard that refers to medical device quality management paves the way to winning over important clients from this niche. 

In a nutshell, adopting various international standards promptly and adapting to their updates is the safest road to compliance for LSPs. 

When the procedures are in place, it’s easier to establish control and traceability across different translations and industries.

A New Road for Established LSPs

LSPs that want to stand out from the crowd must stay committed to quality when it comes to the core translation work. But that won’t be enough. Artificial intelligence and language learning models will become even better translators than they are now. However, it’s still a long way until they can completely translate and localize on their own (if ever).

Language service providers that establish proper control over the translations and procedures are the ones that will stay in this game. As a matter of fact, a reliable human factor will be a deal breaker in an AI-saturated future.
With more than 20 years of experience, Ciklopea has developed a unique human touch that has finally reached its real value. Contact us and get your tailor-made offer today.